of athens



Aug. 30, 1932. N. s. WELK ET AL 1,375,283l

ADJUSTABLE BOOK SUPPORTING RACK Filed Sept. 6. 1928 ATTORNEYS Patented Aug. 30, 1932 UNITED ST ES "PATENT OFFICE nnrson sswnrx Ann AVID B. znnnnn, or nrnnNsonIo, AssIenoR-s and ran MCIBEE :Bnvnnn 00., or arnnns, onmnconronnrron or onro ,AbJUs'reBnE. 13001:

Application. filed September Our invention relates to: the bookbinding art andparticularly to devices adapted to facilitate and simplifyth'e handlingof large ledgers, and the like, during the processes of inspecting entries, posting entries, inserting leaves in or withdrawing leaves from a loose leaf ledger. In fact our rack'rnay be used to support any heavyboolr for most any purpose and is not only adjustable to receive books of varying sizes but is proyided wi'tha side mounted to bepivotally lowered so as to permit a wider opening of the book in the rack. l I YVith the above purposes in mind our object is to provide a device of this character in a simple, strong, durable and practically inexpensive construction, adapted to have the parts so arranged they may be folded and nested for packing and shipping purposes.

Our invention consists of certain details of construction hereinafter set forth, pointed out in our claims and illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which Fig. 1 shows a perspective drawing of our device.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation with ledger in place, and dotted lines showing ledger opened;

Fig. 3 is a cross sectional View taken on line 33 of Fig. 1;

Figs. 4 and 5 are cross sectional views taken on line 4 i of Fig. 1, showing locked and unlocked position of sliding member; and

Fig. 6 is a side elevation showing compactness of devices for shipping.

Referring to the accompanying drawing the reference numeral 10 is used to indicate the base of our rack preferably formed of a sheet of steel with the longitudinal ends turned upwardly as shown at 11, then inwardly as shown at 12 to parallel the base portion, then downwardly, to provide a strip 13 paralleling the sides 11. 'L'ugs 14, preferably provided with cushions 15 are secured near the corners of the lower part 9f the base portion and function as legs, or feet, on which the rack rests.

Near one end of the rack the inwardly turned portions 12 are omitted and the up surron'rnve RACK 6,1928. Serial in. 7304,204.

wardly turned portions 11 continue upwardly and terminate above the inwardly turned portions 12, in car like projections 16.

A supporting'member 17 for the side of a book 18, extends transversely across the base portion and is pivotally mounted at 19 in the sai'd'ears. This supportingmember 17 is provided with side portions 20 paralleling the'ears and substantially in light t frictional contact with their inner surfaces. r

It also has abase portion 21 to which springs 22, carrying lugs 23, are secured, and the ears 16 are provided with orifices 23a to receive the'lugs 23, when the supporting member 17 is in an upright position, and lock it in said position. Theforward face ofthe supporting member is preferably beveled, or slanted, as shown at 24, outwardly from its base to permit a book held in the rack to be opened to a slight degree. i

The, supportingmember 25, for the other side of the book to be placed in the rack, has a base 26 which'rides on the inturned portions 12, and sides 27 extending upwardly therefrom. The inner face of this supportmin ating at their inner ends near the center of; the base26 and being joined by an upwardly curving leaf spring 31. Their outer ends project beyond the downwardly projectingv strips 13 and thence turn upwardly to li-ghtfrictional contact with the under surface of their respective inturned portions 12. A set-screw 32 extends through a. screw threaded orifice in the base 26, its lower end contacting the uppersurface of the leaf spring 31.

In practical operation a ledger to be used is placed on our'rack, its back resting on the iii-turned portions 12 and one of the side covers contacting the pivotally mounted supporting member 17 which at this tune is on the under side of the locked in its upright position. The set-screw 32 is loosened thus releasing the tension on the leaf spring 31 and this, in turn, releases the tension on the up-turned outer ends of the lock levers 30 and the supporting member 25 may then be moved along the base of our rack and, as the brackets29 are mounted so as to be in light frictional contact with their respective downwardly projecting strips 13, the proper positioning of the supporting member 25 to the base 10 is maintained. The supporting member 25 is moved to contact with the other side of the ledger in the rack, thus firmly holding the ledger in position in the rack, the slanted inner faces of the supporting members 17 and 25 permitting the book to be opened to a slight degree. If the operator desires to further open the ledger he presses the springs 22 thus withdrawing the lugs 23 from their orifices 23a and the supporting member 17 may be lowered from its pivotal mounting at 19 which allows the cover contacting the said supporting member to be lowered and the ledger to open wide. I I

In packing and shipping the supporting member 17 may be moved inwardlyfrom its pivotal mounting until it lies substantially over the base portion. The supporting member 25 may be withdrawn from its operating connection with the base and laid on the top of the base its slanted faces, mating and contacting with the slanted faces of the supporting member 17, as clearly shown in Fig. 6, and this forms a. neat rectangular formation which may be nicely and easily fitted in a carton.

Having thus described our invention what we claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. A book rack comprising a rigid base having channelled sides, upstanding ears carried by the base adjacent one end, a book supporting member pivotally mounted between said ears, spring detents carried by said member and adapted to engage said ears, a co-actin'g book supporting member longitudinally adjustable upon said base, locking means for said last named member, said members having their supporting faces inclined outwardly with respectto each other.

2. A book rack comprising a rectangular base having channelled sides, upstanding ears carried adjacent one end of the channelled sides, a book support pivotally supported between said ears, spring detents for retaining said support in normal supporting position, means to permit the outward and downward swinging of said support, a co-acting support longitudinally adjustable upon said base, friction latches for maintaining said second named support in adjusted position, said supports having their supporting faces permanently inclined with respect to each other.

3. A book support comprising a channelled base member open at its ends and having the material of its sides inturned and downturned, book supporting members mounted on said base, one of said members permanentbase having channel sides, a book support permanently pivotally supported adjacent one end thereof, a co-acting'book support adjustable longitudinally of said base, and removable therefrom, latch means for said supports, said supports having permanently inclined supporting faces inclined outwardly with respect to each other, said supports adapted to be nested upon said base with theirsupporting faces engaging, substantial- 1y as shown and described.

NELSON S. WELK.

DAVID R. ZENNER. 

